Tucked in one of the side streets toward the plaza of Jaro district is a small “typical German restaurant and bar” aptly named Bavaria. Described as a taste of Germany in Iloilo City, this quaint little restaurant quietly is actually an open secret among foodies in the city.Owned by a German national who retired to Iloilo City, Bavaria lets the Ilonggos experience the Deutsch fashion of merry eating and drinking. Designed like an old fashioned German tavern, patrons feel a transformation of ambiance the moment they step in. After passing through a narrow hallway, a cozy dining area awaits customers who feel like to have entered a museum of sorts because of the ornate decorations and displays in true German fashion. Bavaria is mainly a bar that serves German drinks but it also dishes quite a number of German specialties. Somewhat the restaurant’s menu has expanded to include other cuisine like Spanish and the typical Filipino to attract more guests. But it is the German gastronomic specialties that are really authentic to the taste.Among their best sellers are their authentic German sausages (in combo meals) and pepper steaks complete with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut (a personal favorite). They also have paella and typical Filipino combo meals. Aside from the German brews and other international drinks, among it’s signature drink is Spezi. Sounds foreign but it’s just a combination of local sodas as I was told.Bavaria indeed has gone a long way and to survive the Ilonggos discriminating taste, which other restaurants failed big time, it must have done something right. Could it be the ambiance and the feel of the restaurant, the service and style or the authentic taste of it’s food? Discover it for yourself.